It Ain't So Wonderful On AI5

The Top 12 hit the big stage this week on American Idol 5, and this season's finalists are perhaps the most fortunate of any thus far, having gotten to personally meet and work with the fabulous Stevie Wonder. Unfortunately, their lack of originality, self-awareness and energy, combined with severe cases of performance-night nerves, led to an evening of Stevie Wonder songs served up mediocre-style.

Following is the It's Destiny! panel's take on the AI5 Finals Round 1: The Music of Stevie Wonder.

Ace Young "Do I Do"
Tammy: Ace is up first tonight, which I think affects his performance for the worse. He appears nervous and uncomfortable onstage. Mumbled lyrics and awkward looking audience interaction do not help, nor do his off-key vocals. He appeared rather 'deer in headlights' on that newer, bigger, shinier Idol stage. Hopefully if he's still around next week (and after this performance, who knows?), he'll have adjusted.
Score: 6.7
Liza: Luckily for him, there were quite a few other more dreadful performances, and he's pretty, so he'll stick around. He started off the show with good energy, but he was way out of tune in the beginning. He reigned it in a bit, but the whole thing was awkward, right down to his "cool dance moves" which I see as more O-Town than cool.
Score: 5.5
Destiny: I agree that he looked and sounded very nervous. "Do I Do" is not my favorite Stevie song, and Ace needs to choose a showstopper song very soon if he wants to maintain his quickly fading status as one of the true frontrunners in this competition. I like him as a person more and more each week, but as a performer he seems to be letting his nerves get the better of him. I commend him, however, for being one of the only ones to utilize the full stage this week, and for his sincere appreciation of his time spent with Mr. Wonder. Come on, Ace, this competition needs you in it. Start shining.
Score: 7.0

Kellie Pickler "Blame It On The Sun"
Tammy: Another contestant, another case of the nerves. Kellie seemed unsure as she meandered her way through the song, and one could almost hear her counting out the timing inside her head. Nothing memorable, but not altogether terrible. Her voice almost had a Leanne Womack quality about it at times.
Score: 7.0
Liza: I'll give you the "nothing memorable", but I can't agree on the "not altogether terrible" because I thought it was dreadful, to borrow a Simon Cowell phrase. Kellie made this song completely unrecognizable and incredibly boring and showed absolutely zero range.
Score: 4.0
Destiny: I agree with Liza that Kellie made the song unrecognizable, but I don't think it was dreadful. Her vocals were good, but not special. Her hair and makeup, on the other hand, were the first sign of atrocities by the Idol stylists this season. She looked like a totally different person. I much prefer the Kellie version of Kellie. She should thank Ryan for allowing her so much banter after her performance, thus allowing her to show some personality. Because we all know that Kellie's personality is her strongest asset. Here's hoping she comes back as herself next week.
Score: 7.0

Elliott Yamin "Knocks Me Off My Feet"
Tammy: Once again, Elliott's vocals are his strength, and once again his stage presence leaves much to be desired. It seems Elliott, too, has a few butterflies in his stomach as he never quite looked comfortable tonight.
Score: 7.9
Liza: I agree. He sounds great, save for one iffy note, but it definitely wasn't his best performance. But his best was truly phenomenal, so it would be hard to top that. I loved how he ended the song.
Score: 7.0
Destiny: I thought his vocals were outstanding. That opening verse was stunning. Hopefully next week will bring an ease of nerves and better stage presence, not only for Elliott, but for everyone.
Score: 7.5

Mandisa "Don't You Worry About A Thing"
Tammy: This song starts out very rough, as Mandisa's lower register is once again troublesome for her. Why choose a song that highlights your flaws? Baffling. As the song kicks into high gear and Mandisa has a chance to unleash on the higher notes, she redeems herself.
Score: 8.2
Liza: She did seem tentative on those lower notes, but she soared on the big notes. She can really sing, and she has a very appealing personality.
Score: 7.5
Destiny: Mandisa looked beautiful tonight. And, yes, the girl can sing. But I have to agree that those lower notes were not good at all. It caught me off guard how shaky she sounded on the lower parts of the song, because I really wasn't expecting any vocal problems from her. The big notes definitely saved her. It was like she turned in two completely different performances in one song. Luckily, the good outweighed the bad. Don't scare me like that again, Mandisa!
Score: 7.5

Bucky Covington "Superstition"
Tammy: Bucky was the first performer of the night to actually appear to be at ease onstage and having fun, which made it more enjoyable to watch. He had some pitch problems during the song, but overall wasn't half bad.
Score: 7.8
Liza: I worried most about him pulling the theme off, but he did pretty well! He picked probably the ONE Stevie song he could have pulled off. His stage movements are a bit awkward-looking, though.
Score: 6.75
Destiny: I am not as satisfied with Bucky's performance as you two seem to be. I thought it was very mediocre, both vocally and performance-wise. While Tammy thought he was at ease, I thought he looked uncomfortable. And what was up with the hair? How could he let them do that to him? After he saw what the stylists did, he should have immediately grabbed the nearest hair band or at least shook out the hairspray. He looked like a Jr. High girl on school picture day freshly coifed by a parent helper just before she went before the camera. Yikes.
Score: 5.0

Melissa McPhee "Lately"
Tammy: YIKES. Doomed by her own intro clip before the song? So it would appear. Melissa looked defeated from the beginning, as she botched most of the lyrics and failed to cover it well. Will she be booted tomorrow night, or will she receive the RJ Helton 'I Won't Dance' sympathy vote and stay around one more week. It's anyone's guess.
Score: 5.0
Liza: Train-wreck! If she couldn't remember the words with the lyric sheet in front of her, it is not surprising that she forgot during the show. I've seen some good cover-ups in the past (Jessica Sierra on "Total Eclipse of the Heart", Carrie Underwood on "Love Is A Battlefield", Justin Guarini with the smoothest cover-up ever on "Route 66", even Nadia Turner's spircles on "Time After Time"), but Melissa totally panicked. She had a few good moments, but forgetting the lyrics in that manner cannot be overlooked or underplayed, JUDGES!
Score: 3.5
Destiny: Yeah, what's up with the judges? This was a disastrous performance, and their praise is mind-boggling. Simon alone has murdered people for far less crimes than this. And yet he not only doesn't reprimand her for the botched performance, he compliments her? Melissa is one lucky girl.
Score: 3.0

Lisa Tucker "Signed, Sealed, Delivered"
Tammy: As I watched, four words kept swirling through my mind. Is it over yet? It was an uninspired performance, and try as you might, you just can't fake enthusiasm, Lisa.
Score: 6.9
Liza: I disagree. I thought she did a good job in working the stage and, for once, acting closer to her age than the 35 she usually acts like. This is the first time she hasn't seemed like a 35-year-old woman belting ballads, and I like her so much better when she embraces her youth, even just a little. And finally, an upbeat song! (Although I have to say she sounded fantastic on "I Have Nothing" in the intro clip!)
Score: 7.5
Destiny: I'm with Tammy on this one. Boring. Lisa is such a cute girl with so much potential, but she isn't utilizing it. During her performance I just kept hearing and visualizing Fantasia's performance of this song. Needless to say, Lisa's was nowhere near that caliber. I fear the girl's time is limited on the Idol stage, and it's too bad, because she is just not harnessing her talent.
Score: 5.0

Kevin Covais "Part Time Lover"
Tammy: Kevin obviously doesn't have the chops to be playing with the big kids, but he is an entertaining lad. His dance moves had me in stitches, and his sass to Simon was a bit of unexpected fun as well. There's no chance that he's a threat to win this thing, but I won't complain if he sticks around a few more weeks.
Score: 6.4
Liza: I think Kevin is embracing his role as the joke of the show and is milking it for all it's worth. That was horrifying (although not as horrifying as John Stevens doing "Lately" two years ago), and I cannot fathom Paula and Randy giving it more of a tongue-bath than they gave Nikko for his version of the song last year. Thankfully, Simon told it like it is. I don't find Kevin's bravado and Simon sass to be all that amusing. If he had even half the talent to back it up, I might have appreciated it.
Score: 4.0
Destiny: Yes, Kevin was funny at moments throughout this performance. But not in a good way. The more his bravado grows, the more irritating is his presence in this competition. That being said, I'm almost positive that he will be sticking around for several weeks to come. Next!
Score: 3.5

Katharine McPhee "Until You Come Back To Me"
Tammy: And finally, the show begins. There's nothing I would change about this performance. Loved, loved, loved it from beginning to end.
Score: 9.6
Liza: That dress was hideous. It was so unflattering and just all kinds of wrong. Good thing she's 1. Gorgeous and 2. Probably the best singer in the competition.
Score: 8.5
Destiny: There was something wrong about that dress. It needed to be shorter to be more flattering. But who really cares about the dress? This was a great performance and Katharine's best yet on the show. This week she displayed why she will probably be the last girl standing in the competition. Good for her for showing what she can really do.
Score: 9.0

Taylor Hicks "Livin' For The City"
Tammy: Taylor cut down on his nervous ticks and hoots and gave a very enjoyable, professional performance. Nice!
Score: 8.8
Liza: Taylor does Michael McDonald two weeks in a row! Seriously, I can't get over how much he sounds and resembles Mr. Yah Mo Be There. I really liked this performance as well. Terrific vocals with only a little bit of spazzing. If he can resist the urge to dance like a fool, he'd be awesome.
Score: 9.0
Destiny: I love this guy! And he looked so great in that suit! Loved the loose hair, too. Definitely a big improvement over the combed straight down and sprayed look he's been sporting. Taylor, you're looking good, man! The performance was great. Unfortunately, the Idol sound mixer is still an idiot. Taylor's mic was turned way too low during the middle of the song, and the band and back-up singers were turned way too loud. Ridiculous.
Score: 9.0

Paris Bennett "All I Do"
Tammy: Paris gave a very high energy, fun performance with impressive vocals. What may detract from her votes is her annoying post-song banter (actually, more singing than banter). Where's the hook when you need it? You had me, then you lost me, Paris.
Score: 8.7
Liza: And THAT is how you do a Stevie Wonder song. She owned the stage, and she commanded the audience's attention right away. She really is Baby Fantasia in more ways than one. I think she's going to be a polarizing one as well. But this performance was just terrific.
Score: 9.5
Destiny: I found nothing annoying about Paris' banter/singing with Ryan. I think she's so sincere and adorable. She turned in a great performance as well. I don't really see the Fantasia comparison, but, hey, if Stevie Wonder and Liza say so, it must be there, right?
Score: 8.9

Chris Daughtry "Higher Ground"
Tammy: Chris finds a way of channeling his inner rock star on even a Stevie Wonder night by covering a cover. As Chris sang the Red Hot Chili Peppers' version of "Higher Ground", it was apparent that Chris is THE CHOSEN ONE (TCO). The bright lights and smoke machines kicked into high gear, and if I were the other contestants I would be a) annoyed that TCO got all the fancy, shiny toys used on him tonight and b) scared, because even though Chris is TCO, he also proved he is worthy of the title. While I'm not a fan of the 'carrying the microphone all over the stage' trick, it was a strong performance.
Score: 9.2
Liza: It was a good performance, but really, could he be any more predictable? There was no doubt in anyone's mind that he was going to do this song, and there's no risk really in doing this song. I'd like to see him take some chances, and I think he could have made a huge impression by doing something out of his comfort zone. This would have been the perfect week to do it because he's surely not going anywhere for a while. And I agree that he's THE CHOSEN ONE. Not only the lighting and smoke, but also the judges' comments. He didn't make it his own - he made it the Red Hot Chili Peppers' own. He wouldn't have sung "Higher Ground" like that if he hadn't heard the Chili Peppers' version of it first. They give him entirely way too much credit. And one more bit of criticism (sorry, this is turning into a full rant here): He needs to reign in his vibrato. It's bordering on Christina Christian territory.
Score: Despite my rantings, he still gets an 8.25.
Destiny: What Liza said. Oh, and add my annoyance at his carrying the microphone stand all over the stage. Constantine called. He wants his move back.
Score: 7.0

Who Should Be Eliminated
Tammy: Ace
Liza: Kevin (I'd take a trifecta of Kevin, Melissa and Kellie all in one swoop
if I could.)
Destiny: Kevin

Who Will Be Eliminated
Tammy: Lisa
Liza: Melissa
Destiny: Lisa

Click here to check out the It's Destiny! panel's overview on the Top 12 of AI5.

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We asked you, "Who Needs An American Idol Makeover The Most?"
33% Taylor
20% Bucky
19% Elliott
10% Kevin
8% Mandisa
4% Melissa
3% Ace
1.8% Chris
0.5% Katharine
0.3% Kellie
0.3% Lisa
0.1 Paris
0% None- I Like Them As Is

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